An absolute deadlock prevails in the last few hours in Berlin and an unprecedented political crisis in post-war Germany.
Yesterday, Thursday 07-11-2024, two crucial meetings took place with the aim of getting out of the government crisis.
Soltz and Mertz disagree
The first meeting took place in the chancellery between Olaf Solz and the Chief of the Opposition Officer Friedrich Mertz and the second in the Presidency of the Republic between Friedrich Merz and the German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier. Both seem to have been fruitless.
On the one hand, Olaf Solz insists on asking for a vote of confidence on January 15 and for the country to go to early elections in March. After the 20-minute meeting in the chancellery, Christian Democrat leader Friedrich Merz also remains adamant and asks Soltz to appear in parliament for a confidence vote early next week.
In fact, this is also the condition he sets to cooperate with the Social Democrats and Greens government on a series of critical bills, which must be passed before the holidays, from the economic field to immigration. At the same time, he maintains that no deductions or deviations from fiscal discipline and the constitutional rule of the debt brake can be made.
Chaos in the German Parliament
At the same time, chaos prevails in the German parliament, where the discussion of a series of bills, which were scheduled for Thursday and Friday, is cancelled, with the far-right AfD trying to take advantage of the situation by causing a special session tomorrow in the parliament for the government crisis.
Social Democrat-Green minority government
The political processes in Berlin have been feverish since yesterday, with political uncertainty being the only certain fact for now. Chancellor Olaf Solz announced last night that he will ask for a vote of confidence before the Bundestag on January 15th, and if he does not receive it, as everything seems to indicate, early elections will have to be called within 60 days, ie until March 15th. They were originally scheduled for September 2025.
In the meantime, after the departure of Mr. Finance Minister Christian Lindner and the Liberals from the coalition government, Olaf Solz is left alone with the Social Democrats and the Greens without the necessary majority in parliament to pass the difficult 2025 budget.
In reality, this is the time for a weak minority government that won’t even be able to do the basics until March. Already yesterday, he also asked for the support of the Christian Democrats in the form of a government of tolerance, just to pass the 2025 budget or at least some important bills, which the Christian Democrats, however, reject.
The Christian Democrats are pushing for elections
The head of the Christian Democrats, Friedrich Merz, speaking from Berlin in the morning, also publicly pressured Chancellor Olaf Solz to request a vote of confidence from parliament immediately and not in mid-January. “Early next week at the latest,” he said, wanting to speed up the run-up to the polls, given that his party is consistently leading in all opinion polls and he has already announced that he will be a candidate for chancellor.
“There is no reason to postpone the early elections now,” he said, stressing that Germany cannot proceed in the coming months with a government that does not have a parliamentary majority.
The critical role of President Steinmeier
Since yesterday, successive meetings have also been ongoing at the Bellevue Presidential Palace, with the role of German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier in the coming months being considered decisive in ensuring state continuity and unity.
Speaking as an emergency from the Presidency on Thursday morning, he emphasized that in German post-war history, the announcement of early elections is a rare phenomenon. But, as he pointed out, the German Constitution has relevant provisions and provides institutional solutions. “It is not the end of the world”, as he said, calling for calm for the next steps and referring to the Constitution. This is not a time “for tactics” but it is a time for “reason and responsibility”. He even asked all sides to “show responsibility” given that the times demand it.
Phileleftheros sub. Transport supports Soltz
The German President has already ratified the Scholz decision to dismiss Christian Lindner, as well as the resignation of the other Liberal ministers, who went to the presidential palace at noon
The only exception is Phileleftheros sub. Transport Volker Vissing, who contrary to the “line” Lindner, decided to remain in the government, after consultation with Chancellor Olaf Solz, who asked for his support. At the same time, he announced his departure from the Liberal party. Now he takes over the portfolio of the sub. of Justice, after the departure from the specific position of Marco Busman, also from the Liberals.
In the meantime, the name of Christian Lindner’s successor in the department has already been announced. Finance. This is the economist Jörg Kukis, Olaf Solz’s trusted advisor in the chancellery on matters of fiscal and economic policy. Kukis is expected to be appointed today, soon after Lindner’s ouster was made official.
Source: DW
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